Feed-water purifier.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903..

F. 0. MEGHLIN FEED WATER PURIPIER. APPLIUATION TILED APR. 24,.1902.

'* INVENTOR MM y Attorney N0 MODEL.

'WI TNESSES I (7 24% 5 urns wAsumm'oN D c U'Nirnn STATES Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFIcE.

FEED-WATER PU RIFIER.

EPEGIFICATIOH forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,628, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed April 24, I902. Serial No. 104,512. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-FRANCIs O. llIEGHLIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington Court-House, in the county of Fayette and State of Ohio, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in FeedlVater Purifiers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to feed-water purifiers and scale-arresters for steam boilers or generators, and more particularly to that class of purifying devices in which the feedwvater is introduced into a closed conduit or chamber contained within the boiler, wherein the feedwater is heated and its sediment and scaleproducing substances are liberated and col& lected before passing to and commingling with' the water in ,the boiler proper.

1 The principal object of my invention is to provide an efficient purifying device or apparatus for effecting a thorough separation and collection of all impurities, sediment, and scale-producing substances contained in the feed-water before its delivery to the boiler.

Further objects are to secure automatic expulsion of scum and foam from the purifier, thus preventing undue accumulation thereof and consequent impairment of the efficiency of the device, tomake provision for blowingout or cleaningall parts by steam-pressure, to provide a simple and inexpensive construction, and to improve generally upon devices of the same nature.

With the above-stated objects in. view the invention will hereinafter be fully described with reference to'the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and then pointed out in the claims following this description.

In said drawings, in which corresponding parts in the severalviews are designated by the same letters of reference, Figure 1 represents in side, elevationan ordinary tubular steam-boiler having my improved feed-water purifier and cooperating parts applied thereto, the lower part of the boiler being broken aw y and the purifierbeing represented therein in longitudinal vertical section. Fig. 2 is I a vertical sectional view through the purifier boiler.

and lower part of the boiler, taken on line I I I I of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of anumber'of the scale and sediment separating and collecting pans or elements and the supporting-frame therefor; and Fig. 4 is a detail vertical section through the rear end of the purifier, showing a preferred means of attaching the end pieces or heads to the body portion thereof.

- The letter Adenotes the steam-boiler,of conventional form and provided with the usual steam-domeB, fire-fines G, and manholes D. It will be understood that my improved pu' rifying apparatus may be used in connection with boilers of. different types and that the invention is therefore independent of its particular application and embodiment.

The feed-water purifier (designated by the letter'E) is preferably contained wholly within the boiler, though in some instances it may be used for purifying purposes outside of the The purifier consists of an elongated ortubular conduit or chamber provided with the internal-scale-arrestin g and purifying elements hereinafter described, and the feedwater is conducted therethrough from a feedpipe F at one end of the device and delivered through a suitable dischargepipe can the other end into the boiler proper. In the construction illustrated the purifier is in the form of a tube orcylinder extending within the boiler. nearly the entire length of the latter and resting on suitable legs or supports H. The said cylinder is preferably provided with removable heads or end pieces e, bolted to suitable lugs on the interior cylinder-wall, as

shown in "Fig. 4, or otherwise secured in place.

Near its front or discharge end the cylinder is formed orprovided with a small dome c forcollection of scum and foam, preferably removably secured over a suitable opening in the upper part of the cylinder, so as to permit its detachment and allow ready insertion or withdrawal of the purifier through the front manhole of the boiler. Inorder to preserve the cylinder, it is preferably constructed of galvanized iron, zinc, lead, or other suitable material adapted to resist corrosion and the formation of scale. Within the purifier are placed, at suitable distances apart, a series of inclined transverse plates or shallow pans J, which are preferably of substantially the form shown, having flat bottoms and upturned rims or edges and formed of thin sheet-iron, steel, or other suitable material having an affinity for the scale-producing substances contained in the feed-water. The pans occupy nearly the entire internal diameter of the conduit, leaving sufficient annular spaces be tween their rims and the inner wall of the conduit to permit the passage of the feed-water. The said plates are arranged forwardly, inclining at angles of about thirty degrees to the horizontal, being therefore in the present construction somewhat oblong in shape, or they may be otherwise suitably disposed and constructed. They may be properly supported and held apart by attachment to suitable side bars K, secured to opposite ends of curved strips or straps 713, fitting within the lower part of the cylinder, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, orsaid plates maybe supported by other suitable means. The side bars are each preferably made in two or more sections, as shown in Fig. 1, the corresponding pairs of which, together with their connecting and supporting straps 7t, constitute separate supportingframes, which may be easily withdrawn on' detachment of either of the heads eof the cylinder for the purposes of cleaning or renewing the plates or pans. A wirescreen box L is placed in the front part of the cylinder or conduit and filled with a suitable filtering material, shown in part in Fig. 1, so that the feed-water after passing through the conduit and depositing its impurities and scaleforming substances therein will finally be filtered and discharged free from sediment, foam, and scum and in a thoroughly pure condition into the boiler for steam generation. The rear end of the filter or wire-screen box L is preferably located beneath the dome e, for a purpose hereinafter explained' The rear head or end piece of the cylinder E may be provided with a stop-cock M to permit draining the purifier for cleaning or blowing-out purposes, and said cock may be operated by a key or other suitable instrument from the rear manhole of the boiler. said cylinder-head may be further provided with a check-valve N, adapted to permit circulation of the water in the boiler through the .purifier when the pump or other boilerfeeder is not in operation.

The feed-pipe F connects without the boiler with the supply-pipe O, leadingfrom the pump or other boiler-feeder (not shown) and controlled by a valve 0, and said feed-pipe also connects with a pipe P, controlled by a valve p and leading to a mud-drum Q. Any suitable type of mud-drum may be employed, that shown consisting of an upright cylindrical chamber having an internal partition q depending a suitable distance from the upper inner side of the drum and having a funnel-shaped bottom provided with a blow-off or discharge pipe R, controlled by a valve 1'. A pipe S, having a valve 8, leads from the upper part of the mud-drum beneath the parti- The tion q and connects with the boiler blow-off pipe T, which latter is controlled by a valve 75. The small dome e on the front of the purifier or conduit E connects with the top of the muddrum by a pipe U, having a valve to.

In operation, valves 0, a, and .9 being open and the remaining valves closed, the feedwater is delivered from the pump or other boiler-feeder (not shown) through feed-pipe F, conducted through the purifier or conduit E, and discharged through outlet-pipe G into the boiler, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. The internal diameter of the cylinder or conduit E being much greater than that of the feed-pipe, the stream of water passing through said cylinder or conduit moves with less velocity than in said feed-pipe and in greater volume, permitting the sediment and heavier impurities to settle, and the successive transversely-disposed pans or plates J serve, further, to retard the flow of the water and to collect such sediment and impurities. As the water passes through the feed-pipe and purifier its temperature gradually increases, whereby its scale-producing substances are liberated and caused to attack or deposit upon the metal plates or pans J. The said pans present large metallic surfaces to the action of the water, extending across the. direction of flow thereof, and occupying nearly the full internal diameter of the cylinder or conduit, and the water is subdivided into thin sheets flowing between the successive pans, whereby the deposit of scale is greatly facilitated and the scale-producing substances eliminated from the water in a most effective manner. By reason of the inclined positions of the pans as illustrated the flow and distribution of water between the pans is facilitated. Pans of larger area may be employed, and the scale is caused to lodge and sediment to settle more readily. As the water reaches the front or discharge end of the purifier its temperature attains substantially or nearly that of the water in the boiler proper, whereby practically all salt and scale-forming substances remaining inertin the cooler water-are liberated, depositing upon the front pans. The water finally passes through the filter L and is thus discharged into the boiler in a thoroughly inert, pure, and clean condition.

The foam and scum rising to the top of the purifier or conduit will be forced forward by the current of inflowing feedwater and accumulate in the small dome e at the front of the purifier. This foam and scum as rapidly as it accumulates will pass out through pipe U to the mud-drum Q, the sediment and impurities contained therein settling in the bottom of the mud-drum and the steam and water globules returning to the boiler through pipes S and T. The inner partition or apron q in the muddrum serves to prevent the passage of impurities entering the drum back into the boiler. By these means the undue accumulation of scum and foam in the puri- ICC IIR

fier is prevented, and the efficiency of the apparatus is accordingly increased. The pipe U also serves as a blow-off pipe for the filter L on closing valves 0 and s and opening blow-oif valve 0" in pipe B at the bottom of the mud-drum, and similarly the feed-pipe F serves as a blow-off pipe for the whole purifier or conduit E and purifying elements contained therein on opening valves 1) and r and closing the remaining valves, while the water in the boiler proper may be expelled through blow-off pipe T on opening valves 25 and closing 'the remaining valves.

When the purifier is withdrawn from the boiler, its end pieces or heads e may be detached and the frame or frames K withdrawn with the purifying pans or elements for the purpose of cleaning the latter. If by reason of long use and consequent attachment of scale it becomes necessary to renew the pans, this can be done at a small cost, as they are of exceedingly simple and inexpensive construction.

The purifier may of course be used Without the mud-drum and connecting valvedpipes,

though these are preferred for the foam-expelling, cleaning, and blow out purposes above mentioned. In some instances the purifier may be used externally of the boiler, or a single device may be used for purifying feed-water for deliveryto two or more boilers. The device maybe placed at any suitable position or location within the boiler, though preferably at the lower part thereof, as represented in the present construction, whereby an advantage is gained in settling mud and sediment more readily.

In some constructions two or more purifying conduits or cylinders similar to that described and suitably connected at their ends may be employed, though by reason of the exceedingly efficient arrangement of the purifying and scale-arresting pans a single conduit is usuallysuificient. The filter may be dispensed with, though it is desirable,-

and the purifying-pans may occupy either a part or the entire length of the conduit, depending somewhat on the character and quality of the feed-water used. The apparatus is also susceptible of various modifications in details of construction and arrangement without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1; A feed-water purifier for boilers consisting of a longitudinally-disposed conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings and an internal series of shallow inclined transverse separating and purifying pans; substantially as described.

2. A feed-water purifier consisting of a conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings and an interiorly-arranged series of inclined transverse pans or plates having raised rims or edge portions; substantially as described.

3.- A feed-water purifier consisting of a conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings and an interiorly-arranged series of in clined transversepans orplates having sub stantially fiat bottoms and upturned rims or flanges; substantially as described.

4. A feed-water purifier for boilers consisting of an elongated conduit located within the boiler, connected to the feed-pipe, and having a discharge-pipe or opening within the boiler, a series of transverse scale-arresting and purifying pans in said conduit, and a filter fitted in the discharge end of said conduit consisting of a screen box or casing provided with filtering material through which the feed-water discharges into the boiler, substantially as described.

5. A feed -water purifier consisting of a conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings, a series of transversely-disposed plates or pans therein, a dome for accumulation of foam and scum at the forward portion of the conduit, and a filter at the discharge end of said conduit; substantially as described.

6. A feed-water purifier consisting of a tube or conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings at opposite ends thereof and having a detachable head or end piece, a removable frame fitted within the conduit, and scale-arresting or purifying elements supported thereby; substantially as described.

7. A feed water purifier consisting of a tube or conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings and a detachable head or end piece, a frame removably fitted within said conduit, and transverse separating and purifying plates supported by said frame; substantially as described.

8. In a feed-water purifier, the combination of a tube or conduit having suitable inlet and discharge openings, an interiorl -arranged series of transverse purifying-plates, and removable side bars to which said plates are secured for holding them in proper position; substantially as described.

9. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a conduit located therein connected to the feed-pipe and having a discharge pipe or orifice within the boiler, and a series of inclined shallow pans transversely disposed within said conduit; substantially as described.

10. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a conduit located therein connected to the feed-pipe and having a discharge pipe or opening within the boiler, a dome for collection of scum and foam at the forward part of said conduit, and an external mud-drum suitably connected with said dome and with the boiler; substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a steam-boiler,

of a conduit located therein connected to the feed-pipe and having a discharge pipe or opening within the boiler, said conduit being internally provided withscalc-arresting and purifying devices, a dome for collection of scum and foam at the forward part of the conduit, and an external mud-drum suitably connected with said dome and with the boiler; substantially as described.

12. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a feed-water-purifying chamber or conduit located therein connected with the feed-pipe and having a discharge pipe or orifice within the boiler, a filter in the forward part of said conduit, and a valved blow-out pipe connected with said filter; substantially as described.

13. The combination, with a steam-boiler, of a feed-water-purifying chamber or conduit located therein connected with the feed-pipe and having a discharge pipe or orifice within the boiler, said conduit having a check-valve at its inlet end adapted to permit circulation FRANCIS O. MEOHLIN'.

Witnesses:

F. M. BATEMAN, N. S. BARNETT. 

